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Home » Gluten-Free

Trail Mix Bars

May 28, 2014 · 16 Comments

Trail Mix Bars - Comfy Belly

I've seen a lot of Kind bar replica recipes lately, which kicked me into working on a replacement for my old granola bar recipe, which was desperately in need of an update.

Trail Mix Bars - Comfy Belly

I've also revisited the ratio and ingredients for two other snack bars from way back, using toasted brown rice and millet. My older son and I are still grain-free, but I know some of you do use gluten-free grains like rice, millet and quinoa, so I'm happy to say that my two brown rice-based bars are fine-tuned for success. Check them out if you're into puffed brown rice and millet:

  • Raspberry Rice Krispy Treats
  • Cocoa Hazelnut Rice Krispy Treats

I love ratios, especially reliable ratios, and this one works well. It's three cups of goodies, ½ cup of honey or maple syrup and salt. Feel free to add your own touch to this ratio—maybe a dash of vanilla extract.

* I updated this recipe on 6/1/2024, removing the water from the honey and salt mixture.

Trail Mix Bars - Comfy Belly
Trail Mix Bars - Comfy Belly
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Trail Mix Bars

I updated this recipe on 6/1/2024, removing the water from the honey and salt mixture.
Feel free to replace or sub with your favorite nuts, seeds and fruit. Or use your favorite trail mix! I can see a tropical version of this bar using toasted coconut flakes, pumpkin seeds, dried pineapple and some spices for a bit of a kick.
I've also successfully used maple syrup in place of honey, so if that's your choice, it will work just as well. If you add vanilla, about ½ teaspoon is a good amount.
If your bars are gooey at the end, you probably needed to boil the honey a little longer to "caramelize" the honey a bit. The honey should be a shade darker than when you started boiling it for it firm up well.
Servings: 10 bars
Calories: 243kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 cup raw almonds or slivered almonds work well also
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C or gas mark 4).
  • Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until they are lightly toasted.
  • Line a baking dish or rectangular container with parchment paper. I use an 8 inch x 10 inch baking dish (20 cm x 25 cm).
  • Add the honey and salt to a saucepan and bring the honey mixture to a low boil. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the honey turns a darker in color, without burning it.
  • Chop nuts a bit so the pieces are a bit smaller (optional).
  • While the honey is still warm, add the nuts and cranberries to it and mix with a spatula or fork to fully coat the mixture.
  • Scoop out and spread the mixture into the parchment paper in the baking dish.
  • Using another piece of parchment paper press down on the mixture to make it compact and uniform.
  • Let the mixture cool for at least 15 minutes or place it in the refrigerator and then slice into squares or rectangles.
  • Store in a sealed container for a few weeks or the refrigerator for a few months.

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg
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    Recipe Rating




  1. Amy Smith says

    May 30, 2024 at 5:40 am

    When making the bars they haven’t solidified. What Seoul’s you recommend doing? Baking it again?

    Reply
    • Erica says

      May 30, 2024 at 5:48 am

      Hi Amy. It sounds like the honey may not have caramelized enough to be firm and sticky and hold the bars together well. Yes, you can try baking it longer. You can also try putting them in the refrigerator or freezer. Also, I'm going to circle back to this recipe because I think I can possibly remove the water and just simmer the honey and salt to achieve a more full-proof "caramel" for the bars.

      Reply
      • Erica says

        June 01, 2024 at 10:27 pm

        Hi Amy. I retested this recipe using just honey and salt and it was much better! I updated the ingredients and steps.

        Reply
  2. Cindy says

    February 15, 2015 at 9:35 am

    If I use coconut nectar in place of the honey, do I still follow the same instructions?

    Thanks

    Reply
  3. Christy says

    June 09, 2014 at 4:24 am

    If you use maple syrup in place of the honey - do you still boil to caramelize it?

    Thx

    Reply
    • Erica says

      June 09, 2014 at 6:47 am

      Yes, definitely.

      Reply
  4. Tara says

    May 30, 2014 at 7:40 pm

    I had to leave the kitchen and distract myself on the Interwebs in order to allow these to cool properly - just licking the mixing spoon was enough to know these are going to be amazing and I would have to restrain myself from scoffing the lot! Thanks for the recipe & pretty pictures 🙂

    Reply
    • Erica says

      May 30, 2014 at 9:25 pm

      ha! licking the spoon is a treat reserved for the cook for sure!

      Reply
  5. Carol says

    May 30, 2014 at 8:13 am

    These look wonderful, what a perfect summer travel snack!

    Reply
    • Erica says

      May 30, 2014 at 7:40 pm

      most definitely!

      Reply
  6. Jeanne says

    May 29, 2014 at 1:42 pm

    Oh my cookies, these look amazing! Pinned,Shared and Making!

    Reply
    • Erica says

      May 29, 2014 at 10:33 pm

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  7. Lisa @ Real Food Kosher says

    May 29, 2014 at 9:47 am

    Thanks for working out such a great ratio! Can't wait to try a version of this - it's almost impossible to find the perfect trail mix bar in the stores.

    Reply
    • Erica says

      May 29, 2014 at 10:34 pm

      It is. Most add sugar or brown rice syrup.

      Reply
  8. Sylvie | Gourmande in the Kitchen says

    May 29, 2014 at 1:05 am

    What a great base recipe, I like your idea for a tropical version!

    Reply
    • Erica says

      May 29, 2014 at 10:34 pm

      thanks, yes!

      Reply

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Welcome! I'm Erica, a cookbook author and writer. I offer whole food, grain-free, and gluten-free recipes, tips, and more. I'm passionate about food and the human microbiome. Also, I love vegetables.

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